Voice AI startup Subtle, which creates voice isolation models to help computers understand you better in loud environments, has launched a new pair of wireless earbuds. These earbuds are designed to help users sound clear on calls and get accurate transcriptions for notes.
The company unveiled the earbuds ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and plans to ship them in the U.S. in the next few months. Priced at $199, the buds will come with a one-year subscription to the company’s iOS and Mac app. This app allows users to take voice notes or chat with AI without pressing any keys. Subtle is using a specialized chip that can wake an iPhone even while it is locked.
The startup is positioning itself to compete with other AI-powered voice dictation apps like Wispr Flow, Willow, Monologue, and Superwhisper by enabling users to dictate into any app using the earbuds. The company claims the buds deliver five times fewer errors than AirPods Pro 3 combined with OpenAI’s transcription model.
In a demonstration seen by TechCrunch, the earbuds successfully captured audio in a noisy setting. They also accurately transcribed a voice note while Subtle’s co-founder and CEO, Tyler Chen, was speaking in a whisper.
Chen explained the vision behind the product, noting a significant move towards voice as a new interface. He stated that while voice allows for more natural interaction than a keyboard, people rarely use it when others are nearby. By using Subtle’s noise isolation model, the company aims to give consumers a way to use a voice interface comfortably through these earbuds.
The launch follows other recent product introductions for note-taking, such as rings from companies like Sandbar and Pebble last year. Chen said that with its earbuds and app combined, Subtle wants to provide the functionalities of different tools—like dictation, AI chat, and voice notes—in one single package.
Users can pre-order the earbuds, which are available in black and white, through the startup’s website.
To date, Subtle has raised $6 million in funding. The company has been working with consumer electronics firms like Qualcomm and Nothing to deploy its noise isolation models.